


Song

by jessie_cristo



Series: Fic Challenges [5]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Birdmen - Freeform, Courting Rituals, Eggpreg, Eventual Romance, Implied Mpreg, M/M, Mating Bond, Mermen, Mpreg, Rating May Change, Romance, Schmoop, Soulmates, Young Love, warrior culture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-02-08 07:52:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12860112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessie_cristo/pseuds/jessie_cristo
Summary: On a mystical island filled with mythical creatures, two boys become friends despite their shaky initial meeting. In one summer, they learn about each other and they live adventures together, growing closer as feelings that was more than just friendship also grew between them.So what if one was of the sea and the other the air and that their biggest supporter was a giant Komodo dragon?It was a deep friendship and a budding love neither could resist.





	1. First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bluefire986](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluefire986/gifts), [cyncitymojo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyncitymojo/gifts).



> Note: 12/11/2017 - This was supposed to be my 2nd entry into the 2017 SPN J2 Reverse Bang but soon after I finished the first **[fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12324675)** , my keyboard started having problems with sticky keys. I tried cleaning the keyboard, disabling through Windows and punching the damn thing. Nothing worked.
> 
> Suffice to say, I didn't have the means to get it fixed or replaced so had to make do. Even if that meant going w/out working on the story for days.
> 
> Since I'm still working on the ending for this, I decided to start posting it, chapter by chapter. Hopefully by the time y'all catch up to where I am now, it'll all be done.
> 
> I'd like to send out a big thanks and apology to my artist, [bluefire986](https://bluefire986.livejournal.com/16012.html), for being so patient with me, only to have me fail to reach deadline. Please go check out the rest of her awesome works.
> 
> Another special thanks to my beta, cyncitymojo - this woman should get an award for how much crap she puts up with on account of me and my drama. Thank god I can keep her from killing me by offering her a fic or two. LOL 
> 
> Much love and hugs to my advisors and cheering section, as always, keeping me from giving up. You know who you ladies are.

JARED

Jared grimaced as his stomach rumbled with hunger. He’d snuck out of the Eyrie’s fledgling dorms early that morning; managing to evade all the sentries and guards. He knew that trying to get into the massive kitchens for some food would be pushing his luck though. So taking just a flask of cool well water and some dried fruit, he’d fled into the rising dawn - determined to prove to his older siblings and especially to his parents that he WAS old enough to start combat training. He was going to have a grand adventure and then return to his home with pride; his family eager to acknowledge his prowess and natural talent.

Joining the combat training had been the one and only major thing he’d ever asked for in all of his fourteen years that wasn’t granted to him by his usually doting parents. Jared may have been indulged all his life, but he didn’t see himself as spoiled, no matter how his older brothers affectionately called him a ‘brat’.

Being the youngest of three children born to the reigning leaders of the Peng race, Jared was well aware that he was a bit strong-minded. Even if at times he enjoyed the special treatment, he tried to never let it go to his head or to abuse it. Even if his own father, Chief Geralte, often showered affection on him too, Jared knew he was proud that Jared never took it for granted or let it feed his ego.

That is, until the first time he’d been allowed to hear the storyteller’s rendition of “The Killing of the Twelve”. Before, he and all other young Peng had always been herded out of the council hall whenever the stories got darker or scarier. No matter how much of a fuss he and the other young put up, it was always the same thing from all the adults around them. “Little feathers are too delicate for this heavy load.” Was repeated often until Jared was sick and tired of hearing it. He’d always been big for his age, and his feathers and everthing about him was growing bigger every day!

He’d heard the story many times since then – about how he’d nearly died before he’d even hatched. A dark time of when the Eyrie had been invaded by a band of young Liungs – stubby legged, large and heavy, carnivorous lizards. Normally, the Peng didn’t have to worry about them. Liungs were clumsy and tended to stomp about, scuttling through underbrush noisily enough for the acute hearing and sharp eyes of a Peng to pick up. Any Peng, young or old, could easily avoid them.

But the night Jared had nearly died, the invading band of Liung had shown how stealthy they could be. Being much smaller and lighter than their elders, the small band had managed to climb up the massive Peng trees, and steal into the Eyrie’s most sacred of places; the Hatchery. They had cracked open and eaten all but four of the incubating eggs in the hatchery that night. If they hadn’t gotten greedy over who got those last four eggs, fighting amongst themselves, a passing Peng never would’ve heard and sounded the alarm. Out of the eight Liung that had butchered the unhatched, only two managed to escape. The Peng warriors killed the rest, then tore them to pieces and scattered their body parts over all over the nearest Liung village from whence they’d come.

Since then, the hatchery was always guarded when eggs were incubating, and whether there were eggs or not, sentries were placed along the length of the tree trunks and a few nearby trees that made up the support system for the treetop city of the Peng. Jared’s father and the rest of the Peng had learned a bitter lesson that day.

Since learning about how he could’ve had twelve more hatch-mates on Hatchdays but that he and his three best friends had been cheated out of them, Jared had felt a strong sense of outrage and a need for vengeance grow inside of him. It’s been two years since he’d first heard the story, and Jared felt that he was more than old enough to start training and to join in defending his home. Maybe even ready to head a war party upon those filthy, scaly Liungs, too!

Right now, though… he found it a bit of a nuisance that even great, future war commanders still needed to eat. –What a bother!-

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

JENSEN

 

Jensen was nearing the expansive tide pools at the north end of Maug Isle when he heard the shouts and screams. Recognizing the screams as coming from his best friend Moby, Jensen picked up his pace, heart pounding – slogging his way desperately up the large sand dune before him.

He came to a gasping stop at the top and took in the scene before him; his slim, yet oddly graceful eleven year old body shaking at the strain he’d put it through. Being on solid ground is hard for him and for any of the Kun. Though he and his clan could withstand the crushing depths of the deep oceans, it was an entirely different kind of pressure when it came to walking around on legs in their human forms.

When he was younger, being on two legs didn’t bother him as much. Jensen, as all of his kind, had been born in human form until he turned ten and was able to shift into his mer-form which was human with a fish tail.

After much training in Mer School, or what everyone called ‘guppy academy’, Jensen had learned to shift into his full fish form – a 12-foot long shape much like the black and white Orcus that lived in the waters to the far North. He had the same large upright dorsal fin, strong pectoral fins, fluked tail, and the large mouth with razor sharp teeth – but that was where their similarities ended.

Unlike the Orcus, Jensen was covered in shimmering bluish-green scales of varying sizes. From the large scales that covered his back to the smaller ones on his face, fins, flukes and the underside of his body.

He was also nearly the size of a full grown female Orcus, but would grow more as he got older, surpassing any female Orcus – and most likely any males too, by the time Jensen stopped growing.

It wasn’t really a hassle because a great deal of the Kun lived above the water as well as in the Great Barrier Reef below in whatever aquatic form they chose.

But even if they lived above the water in the coral houses and halls that had been cultivated down the ages, most Kun spend a good portion of their lives in the water. Running around on dry land, climbing dry, gritty sand hills was not something most Kuns didn’t find pleasurable. But Jensen only had the one friend in his life – being the only child of the Kuns’ most legendary Chieftain, most other Kuns his age tended to be wary about playing with him for fear of inadvertently hurting the Mighty Chief’s only heir.

The Kuns were a mighty race that most other species avoided. In fact, the Kuns had only one species they would call an enemy if they had to name one, are the reptiles called the Liung. They were massive carnivores that would attack any Kuns they could surprise or outnumber.

Even if the average Kun had no actual antipathy with the Liungs, most Kuns tended to avoid them and their often rancid smell and deplorable eating habits. Jensen had met Moby at the tide pools almost a year ago. At first, he’d been wary of the large dragon-like lizard, but as soon as they started talking, Jensen realized how simple and often sweet the young Liung was.

Soon after gaining each other’s trust, Jensen had found a large, scarred indent on Moby’s head and figured that Moby must’ve been severely injured in his youth. The odd, long white scar tissue on his head and back were healed and obviously didn’t bother his slow-minded friend, but Jensen cringed at the thought of just how big the cuts had been to still leave such noticeable scars on Moby after what must’ve been years.

Moby said he didn’t remember what caused his injuries or why his mind goes foggy. But back at home, he was often made fun of, other Liung of his age thinking him pathetic and a drain on their resources. Mainly, their food. One thing all Liung take seriously is their food.

And so Moby had started to wander out on his own, looking for his own food and his own place. A few of the crueler Liung had urged him to go and never come back. That’s when he discovered the tide pools and all the tasty, glorious crab that lived in abundance there! He’d built himself a den not too far from the pools and had been living there alone for years until meeting and befriending Jensen just two years before.

Even if he couldn’t hold a decent conversation before his mind began to wander, and he often forgot things, especially tasks that were too complicated, but mostly, he just lost items because he was always forgetting where he put them. Sometimes Moby would even forget who he is, and his mind would revert to its standard set. Those days were what Moby called his ‘bad days’. On bad days, Jensen mostly avoided Moby. Bad days just weren’t worth trying to spend time with his best friend, when his best friend kept trying to eat him.

Today would’ve been a good day judging by how well structured Moby’s words were as he shouted at the winged boy that kept stabbing at the large lizard with a wooden shaft, tipped with fiery gold spear tips at both ends!

“Why are you doing this?” Moby whined as the smaller bird-boy slipped past Moby’s wildly waving tail and stabbed him viciously in his flank, another bleeding wound joining the many dotting his poor friend’s hide. “Please, stop!” Moby sobbed in pain.

Jensen saw red.

“GET AWAY FROM HIM! HOW DARE YOU!” Jensen screamed in fury as he manifested palm-sized tridents out of the moisture in the air and the crushed coral in the sand, and began hurling them at the bird-boy with unnerving accuracy. The tridents formed in the palms of his hands - semi-solid, three pronged, with short handles that fit perfectly in Jensen’s small hands. The moment they formed and came into contact with his skin, they began swirling and sparking with electrical energy. As he got closer his accuracy got even better, and he had switched from aiming for the stranger’s body and instead began targeting his wings.

His small tridents weren’t big enough to do any real damage, but each one packed enough electrical energy to make the bird-boy yelp every time one of them managed to stick him. If Jensen were older, he could’ve put enough zap in them to fry the flying boy right out of the sky.

Suddenly, it was Jensen’s turn to worry about frying as the bigger boy suddenly swooped down out of the sky, dropping lower and then darting towards Jensen, his double tipped lance pointed at the ground beneath him, a thin, yet steady stream of flames shooting from the tip, burning a path straight for Jensen.

The eleven-year-old barely managed to dive out of the way, but still, some of the flames singed his bare, left foot and Jensen screamed at the pain of it as he crumpled to the sandy ground.

At his scream, Jensen dully noted that the bird-boy pulled his lance up and stared down at Jensen with wide, horrified hazel eyes; mouth gaping in shock. “I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to hurt you. I-I lost my temper, I’m sorry!”

Before either boy could do or say anything more, Moby recovered from seeing his only friend get hurt, and let loose a bellow of rage straight at the bird-boy. “NOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Unfortunately, the stranger had dropped low enough so that Jensen was also in the path of the powerful sound wave that blasted out of Moby. It’s racing path obvious yet unavoidable, as it threw up debris in a thunderous, ground-shaking path. Both boys went tumbling, slamming up against the sand dune Jensen had just run down from - both of them unconscious before their bodies rolled to the bottom and came to a stop.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

MOBY

“Where do you think he came from?” asked Moby.

“WHAT?”

“I SAID… oh yah, I forgot you still can’t hear me.”

“MOBY, I STILL CAN’T HEAR YOU!” Jensen shouted, wiggling a finger in one ear.

The large lizard just rolled his eyes and then turned to leave the little cave to return to the tide pools. After both boys had fallen, Moby had regretted getting Jensen in his blast but it couldn’t be avoided. Plus, he knew Jensen’s inherent fast healing would heal him. The burn on his foot was already nearly healed, so his hearing should be back to normal, as well. He didn’t know if the other boy could heal like Jensen, but Moby was hoping he did.

Even if the little bird-boy had been trying to kill him, Moby liked him. He didn’t know why, he just did. In his mind, Moby had already dubbed him ‘little bird’, just as he’d dubbed Jensen years ago and still called him, ‘little fish’. Moby had transferred both boys into his den to keep them safe from large crabs and hunting gulls.

When Jensen had awoken first, Moby wasn’t surprised. He’d been a little off center to the blast and the bigger boy had taken the full brunt of it, somewhat shielding his Little Fish. Moby felt it was now safe to leave and go back to the pools. He had missed his morning meal because of Little Bird, and he was still very hungry. He knew Jensen would be safe now; especially because Jensen had taken precaution and was tying Little Bird’s hands and feet with some of the strong vines that grew just outside of Moby’s den.

When the boys had tumbled, he’d seen both their weapons disintegrate when they’d been knocked unconscious; so Moby hoped Little Bird was similar to Little Fish, and that his hearing would return too. Moby would be very sad to know he’d permanently damaged the young boy. The burning cuts the stranger had inflicted on his back and head were already almost healed and Moby had all but forgotten about them.

As Moby left the den and made his way back to the pools, he sensed the presence of a Giant Elk nearby, the majestic animal freezing where it was. Even if the ‘Master of the Forest’ was much larger than Moby, he knew of Moby’s kind and how dangerous they were. Along with their debilitating sound wave, and large, heavy frames and fearsome claws; Liung were also surprisingly fast and nimble. It was just the solidness of their mass when they grew to maturity that kept them out of trees. But the one thing all feared about the Liung were their poison bites. Magic healing or not, nothing and no one is immune to it. One bite from a Liung and the victim would die within hours from the poison. There was no known cure.

Moby ignored the elk and kept going. Moby only ate seafood. Their briny taste the only thing that appealed to his palate. He was a bit sad that on his bad days that his preference for seafood included Jensen in that category when his mind was fogged up. But Jensen never held it against him and always just waited it out. Jensen was like family; never giving up on stupid Moby. Moby shook his head, clearing his mind as much as he could, ridding himself of the bad thoughts. Jensen didn’t like him calling himself ‘stupid’. Jensen would be unhappy if he knew.

Moby hoped Little Bird would want to be friends, too. Moby liked Little Bird.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

JENSEN

 

Jensen had been arguing with the bird boy for what felt like hours but was really only about half an hour before he finally gave up and threw his hands in the air with frustration. He shot to his feet and manifested a new trident in his hand. This one was bigger, made more for close combat, and not for throwing.

“I’m sorry about your hatch-mates, but if Moby was involved, which I highly doubt, then he was forced to. He is the sweetest, kindest creature I know, and he is my friend! Just know, that Moby didn’t really wanna hurt you, if he did, you’d already be dead. I’m gonna cut you loose now, but if you try to hurt my friend again, I will have no choice but to set him on you, for real!”

“Do what you will, boy! You think I’m scared of some murderous, disgusting monster?! I don’t know how, but I WILL take my revenge for my hatch-mates!”

Rolling his eyes, Jensen used his trident to slash at the tough vines binding the bird-boy’s limbs and his wings. Using the trident as a prod, he forced the other boy towards the mouth of the den. The moment he was clear of the den the bird boy stretched out his massive wings then shot up into the air.

Jensen stood at the entrance and held his trident ready in case the stranger decided to attack again. The bird boy dropped lower but didn’t make a move to attack. Instead, he hovered just out of Jensen’s reach and sneered down at him.

“I am Jared, youngest son of the Chief of the Mighty Peng nation. Tell me your name, child, so that I may know who it is that thwarts my vengeance!” he gritted out, hazel eyes blazing with ire.

Proudly, Jensen tipped his chin up, jade eyes glaring right back, full, rosy lips firming as he glared right back at Jared. “I am Jensen, only son of the Chief of the Mightier Kun! And I am NOT a child! I have seen eleven years of life and in five more years I will be old enough to choose a mate and lead my people. You would be wise to forget your vengeance and go back to preening your feathers, or whatever it is you do. I will never allow you to hurt my friend - and if you did, I will eventually have the power to visit my own vengeance upon you!”

“Tchah!” Jared scoffed. “I will be fifteen in mere months and will finally be allowed to join warrior training. By the time you gain your so-called power, I will be a seasoned warrior! The greatest there ever was! And pretty as you are, Jensen… you will not be able to stop me when I come back for your Moby!” Then with a pump of his wings, sending a strong downdraft to throw up dust and leaves around Jensen, Jared zipped straight up into the sky then turned and flew westward until Jensen lost sight of him.

For a few minutes, he stood there, at a loss. His mind whirled with all that had happened that day, and Jensen couldn’t make up his mind as to how he truly felt about the older boy.

A big part of him hated him for hurting Moby, his only friend, but another part of him was left wondering.

_-He called me ‘pretty’-_

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

_Later that week…_

 

“He’s watching us again.” Moby mumbled through a mouthful of the shrimp Jensen had brought him.

“I don’t care what he’s doing, as long as he’s doing it all the way over there.” Jensen said, nonchalantly, as he enticed a flowering sea urchin to perch fetchingly on the tip of his ear.

Moby grinned as he looked at his little friend, shrimp dribbling from his mouth. “Pretty Jensen!” he rumbled in appreciation.

“Aw thanks, Moby. But it’s really this lovely urchin’s doing.” Jensen grinned, when from the corner of his eye, he noted the urchin’s pink coloring intensify with pleasure at his praise.

“Going for crab.” Moby told him before diving into one of the bigger pools and disappearing from sight.

Jensen wasn’t worried. He and Moby had mapped out the vast tide pools and all their interconnecting tunnels and underwater chambers years ago. Moby could hold his breath for a long time when he hunted the pools, and he also knew every air pocket to be had in the vast system.

Jensen smiled at a tiny crab that flailed about on its back, the splash from Moby’s dive having washed it out of its hiding spot. Avoiding its sharp little nippers, Jensen flipped it back onto its feet and watched it scurry back into a nearby outcropping of rocks. While he was at it, he removed the urchin from his ear and thanked it for lending its beauty and released it back into the pool where he’d found it.

Jensen’s parents had always known he’d be a Breeder; his inherent need to nurture all living things, even going so far as to ask for nourishment of the sea life he fed on. The simpler minded creatures of the sea surrendering themselves up to him as if the giving of their lives to feed him was a great honor.

Jensen never accepted more than he could eat, taking protein sparingly while rounding most of his diet with the abundant plant life in the ocean and the fruits and vegetables growing on the lands near the tide pools. In fact, one of his favorite fruits to eat was being enjoyed every day for the last three days by the annoying spy of a Peng boy.

Jensen looked up to glare at the boy now, as he perched on a branch of the only red-skinned mangho tree for miles. Jensen had gotten used to having one or four of the succulent fruit every day since Moby showed it to him the day he’d first discovered the tide pools and met Moby.

But since the older boy… Jared… had started using the immense, high producing tree as a spy perch these past few days, Jensen had been deprived of its bounty, and it didn’t help that Jared gorged himself on the delicious fruit every day in plain sight of Jensen.

Even as he openly glared at the boy, his irritation turned to unease as he watched the winged boy drop the mangho he’d been currently enjoying, hastily scrambling to his feet on the branch, standing easily as if he was on firm ground and not a swaying branch twenty feet off the ground. Jensen frowned as the boy manifested another burning two-tipped spear in his hand and began pointing frantically at Jensen.

 _-No, not at him.-_ Jensen thought, as the winged boy took to the air. _–But something behind him!-_


	2. New Friends

JARED

 

A couple of days ago, when Jared had decided to watch the pair to wait for another chance to get at the abnormally large lizard, he was resigned to being bored with all the sitting around.

That hadn’t been the case, he soon learned. He’d watched as Jensen and the reptile played a variety of fun-looking games. Trailed after them as they took walks in the nearby forest to forage for fruits and other edibles. Watched with amusement as the younger boy collected rocks, wood and leaves; seeming to find them pretty in some way or other. He would store all his pretties in the monster’s lair before night fell and he headed home.

Jared, knowing his brothers would come looking if he stayed out past dark, would also leave soon after. For some odd reason, he didn’t want any of his family to know about the pools, the boy or the lizard. And as for going home when Jensen did, he reasoned that night time didn’t give him any advantages anyways, since the reptile could obviously see better at night than Jared could. But every morning as the sun rose he was back at the pools and perched in his now favorite tree with the delicious red-skinned fruit. It was a fruit Jared had never tried before and he was growing to look forward to eating them every day.

Another thing that was also becoming a habit, even if he wouldn’t quite admit it to himself, was how much he was enjoying watching and listening to Jensen as he talked and interacted with the lizard.

Jared could already tell that the younger boy was kind, caring and patient. The lizard wasn’t very smart and often had trouble following all that the boy talked about. But Jensen never lost patience with him, and took great pains to explain anything that stumped the simple giant.

At the same time, the lizard was also proving to be a bit of a conundrum to Jared. He watched as the reptile always treated the boy gently, going to great lengths not to hurt the boy, even when the boy clambered all over him pretending to wrestle with the lizard.

He’d particularly liked when they played tag within the pools. Jared reasoned that the pools were connected in some way with how Jensen would pop up in different ones daring the giant lizard to catch him. It was a game that also drove home to Jared just how deceptively fast Moby was. For all his girth and short legs, the heavy muscles in those legs propelled him pretty fast, Jensen barely dodging out of the way a few times.

Today had been a quiet day, as Moby had settled down to a net full of shrimp while Jensen weaved flowers and seashells into a coronet, wearing a sea creature on his ear as if it were jewelry, no less. When he finished the coronet and placed it on his head to show to Moby, Jared couldn’t help but notice once again how pretty the younger boy was. If he wasn’t the friend of his enemy, Jared would’ve preferred talking to the boy; getting to know him while admiring his beauty up close.

Mostly, Jared just wanted to be his friend. Even if he was comely, he was still just a child. Jared thought Jensen was very engaging and charming for his age.

Jared watched as the Liung finished off the last of his shrimp then rose and dove gracefully into a large pool. Jared figured he was going for something else to eat. In the days he’d spent here, he’d learned that the dragon-lizard spent most of his time either eating or sunbathing on the rocks. When he did move around it was usually because Jensen chivvied him into playing or going for a walk with him.

Finishing the fruit he’d currently been chewing on he dropped the large seed to the ground and looked up just as Jensen was following its descent to the forest floor with his eyes, licking his lips as he did. He then shot a glare back up at Jared and the older boy realized that Jensen must like these fruits as well and hasn’t had any since Jared took up residence in the tree. He felt a pang of remorse and was considering picking a fruit and offering it to the boy when he noticed the trees in the section behind Jensen, moving.

He stared in horror as three Liung pushed their way through until they were all standing on the rocky ground surrounding the tidal pools. All three of them fixed hungry gazes on Jensen, and when one began moving along the shore to creep up on Jensen, Jared reacted.

Manifesting his double-tipped spear Jared shot from his perch with pointing and shouting at the younger boy about the danger. The boy didn’t seem to understand at first, but then snapped his head around and saw the Liung just as they broke into a gallop.

Taken over by fear, instead of jumping into the nearby pool, Jensen took off on foot for the other end of the tidal pools; the ocean side. Obviously focused on getting to the safety it represented for his kind.

Without thought to his own safety, Jared bellowed a battle cry and dove at the lead lizard, swooping just overhead he slashed viciously at the lizard opening a long, burning cut on its back, stopping it as it reared back in pain, short front legs swiping ineffectually at Jared as he easily avoided the hits and zipped past it. As he took a tight turn to make another run at it, the other two lizards flanked the first one, their claws sending up sparks as they pawed at the stony ground and hissed challenges at the young Peng.

As Jared began another dive he noted that Jensen had stopped where he was at the sound of Jared’s war cry. He had a sparking trident in each hand and was running back to help.

Jared pulled up on his dive and shot out one hand to Jensen. “No! Keep running!” he shouted.

Seeing an opening, the lead lizard whipped around and knocked Jared out of the sky with its large, heavy tail.

Jared screamed as his arm was broken and he was shot toward the far end of another large pool. Splashing down into the water, his spear hissing and then disintegrating into the water. The lead Liung dove into the water and began swimming for him.

Jared tried to keep an eye on it and swim with one arm even as his waterlogged wings began to drag him down. A smaller splash flew up closer to him and Jared realized it was Jensen when the smaller boy swam up beside him and locked his thin, yet lightly muscled arms around Jared’s shoulders, keeping him from sinking any further.

Then, almost miraculously, they began moving towards the shore, away from the oncoming Liung at a fast pace. Glancing down, Jared gaped at Jensen, where there had been slightly bowed, knobby kneed legs was now a large, bluish-green fish tail that sparkled iridescently in the light from the sun above. It was beautiful.

Shaking out of the slight trance Jensen’s tail had engendered, Jared’s worry for Jensen renewed. “Let me go and save yourself!” Jared ordered him. “You don’t even like me, remember?!”

“No! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have seen them in time and they probably would’ve caught me. You saved my life, I’m not leaving you!”

When they reached the lip of the pool, Jared, with Jensen’s help, tried to climb out. But his large, heavy wings kept dragging him back down and the lip of the pool was much higher at this end and Jensen was too small to be of much use.

“GO!” Jared screamed as he saw the Liung getting closer.

He thought Jensen was finally obeying him when he ducked under the water, but then Jared saw him open his mouth underwater and then a strong pressure wave jostled him, the sound emanating from Jensen! Jared’s bones vibrate in his body from whatever Jensen was doing, the broken bones in his arm shooting more pain into his brain, nearly causing Jared to pass out.

Suddenly the sound stopped and the pool became a cauldron of bubbling water as small creatures he couldn’t quite make out, churned up the waters as they rushed towards the threatening Liung. The lizard reared up in the water roaring in shock as it thrashed about. Jared could now make out crabs of every size and color, in the hundreds, covering the large reptile. The water turning bloody as they began eating it alive. More crabs flowed in from other pools, on ground and underwater, latching onto the unfortunate Liung, trying to swim frantically for the shore - but the weight off all those crabs was dragging it down.

The other two Liung stared in shock even as they backed away from the carnage, coming to a stop at the edge of another pool. From that pool, a much larger Moby exploded, grabbing one of the Liung up in his jaws and breaking its back with a furious shake of his head. The other Liung was sent rolling across the rocky ground to smash hard against a boulder.

As it got to its feet and shook its head to regain its bearings, Moby dropped the dead Liung in his jaws and began stalking the dazed one.

“Moby?!” the remaining Liung said, incredulously.

Back at the pool, Jared clung to the side of the pool and watched with a strange fascination as the crabs feasted on the now drowned first Liung. Little fish and other denizens of the pools were now moving in to help clean up the bits the crabs hadn’t gotten. Jared grimaced as he noted how the head of the Liung was stripped to the bone. Eyes and tongue already gone.

Jensen, however, had his frightened eyes fixed on Moby.

“Moby, is that really you?” the last Liung asked again. “It’s me, Von.”

Moby stopped stalking and raised his head in confusion. “I don’t know you,” he said.

“We were hatched in the same summer, how could you not know me? We thought you were dead all this time. But here you are, alive and well… and… and BIG!”

Moby shook his head as if trying to clear it. “You’re trying to confuse me. I don’t know you.”

“Still stupid, though,” the other Liung sneered. “And living here? With a bird-pig and a fish-pig?”

Jensen, who’d asked Jared to wait in the pool, and had shifted back into boy form as he clambered from the pool and went to Moby’s side.

“No thanks to you and the other Liung. Moby told me when I first met him about how you starved him, beat him and then chased him off!” Jensen spat at the other Liung.

“I did? I don’t remember that,” Moby said, mournfully.

“I know you don’t, my friend. But I remember.”

“Quiet, fish-pig! You know nothing. Moby was useless! Nothing but a waste of pig-food.”

“I am NOT a pig, and Moby is NOT useless!”

“You are food. Liung mainly prefer the big pigs of the hills. So all food are pigs, and Moby was worse than useless, he might as well be komodo-pig.” The lizard hissed. “Last time I saw him was a few days after our raid on the bird-pigs. He wouldn’t even join us. Kept moaning about how we were killing baby bird-pigs and how it wasn’t right to hurt babies. We left him sniveling in the bushes and climbed the trees. I got myself three of the tasty eggs and all he did was hide in the bushes!”

Jared gasped, but when Jensen looked back the Peng seemed fine, still floating at the edge of the pool where he’d left him, so he turned his attention back to the intruder. “Moby is a kind and gentle creature. A loyal friend! Something you and the rest of your murdering kind know nothing about!”

“Liung fight, steal, kill for food! It is our way! And this imbecile is not worthy of being called a Liung!” drawing itself up to stand on its hind legs, the reptile stared haughtily at Moby. “Now… Moby. I’ll make you a deal. I won’t tell the others where you are. I’ll leave you in peace here, if you give me the fish-pig or the bird-pig, either one will do, and let me go. If I call the others here, you and those crabs won’t stand a chance. We will kill you all.”

As the intruder and Jensen talked, Jared had worked his way swiftly around the pool with one arm on the rocky ledge until he got to a point where the rock dipped low enough to allow him to hook a leg over it and pull himself out of the water. He just so happened to emerge right behind Moby; the bulk of the giant lizard hiding him. Using his power to make his body heat up and dry him out with a silent puff of steam that rose unnoticed into the air, Jared manifested another spear with one large burning spear point.

Stepping out from behind Moby’s side, opposite of Jensen, Jared brandished his spear and snarled. “My name is Jared of Mighty Peng nation. Those were MY hatch-mates you killed. Now their souls can rest as I take vengeance for them!” Jared then threw his spear with blinding speed, strength and accuracy. It slammed straight through the vulnerable middle of the murderous lizard, the entire length of it bursting into flame as its tip punched out its back, severing the creature’s spine in the process.

The lizard screamed horribly as it quickly burned from the inside out. The husk of its fire-resistant, scaled hide slumping to the ground, smoldering, as the spear disintegrated and the fire died out.

“You won’t be telling anyone, anything,” Jared growled, staring at the corpse with the light of vengeance burning bright in his mercurial eyes.

When he turned to look at Jensen and Moby, he saw how the younger boy had stepped in front of the still obviously upset lizard. He had two sparking tridents in his hands again, and was staring defiantly at Jared.

“I saved your life. You owe me. I won’t let you hurt Moby,” the little Kun said, adorable chin set in a stubborn line.

Smiling the smile his Mama always said could charm the birds out of their trees, Jared bowed respectfully towards the pair.

“Sir Moby, Sir Jensen… please forgive my actions of a few days ago. I acted out of blind rage, not knowing the whole story. If you let me, I’d very much like to make amends to be your friend. Both of you,” he said, bowing slightly to each of them.

Seeming to perk up, Moby smiled. Jared had to steel himself from flinching at the sight of the large, wickedly sharp teeth the giant lizard flashed at him. He fought back his instinctual unease and smiled back when the lizard spoke. “Friends? Really?”

Moby craned his neck to look down at Jensen. “I like the pretty bird-boy, Jensen. I want to be his friend.”

Rolling his eyes, Jensen tossed his tridents up into the air, where they disintegrated into nothing. “Fine,” he huffed. “But I get to name his tasks of amendment.”

“Anything. How many tasks we talking about here?” Jared asked with some trepidation.

“Only one.” Jensen pointed at the red-fruit tree with an imperious finger. “Use those great big, feathery wings of yours to fly up and get us a lot of manghos. We’ve been wanting some for days, but you’ve been hogging them.”

“Right away, precious,” Jared laughed, as he took off into the air and headed for the tree.

“I am NOT precious!” Jensen shouted, stamping one foot on the ground.

“Yes, dear, whatever you say,” Jared laughed again, happy at making new friends, and because he could feel his arm already starting to heal, the discomfort of the bones realigning overshadowed by joy and exultation of also having exacted some vengeance for his lost hatch-mates.

Moby began scampering in a circle around Jensen. “Jensen’s got a beau… Jensen’s got a beau!”

As he reached the tree and began breaking off branches that held bunches of the tasty fruit, he looked back at the pools and smiled as he saw Jensen scolding Moby as if he were a naughty chick and Jensen a penga hen. He instructed Moby into disposing of the remains of the dead Liungs. Even the half eaten one in the largest pool. Taking the corpses far into the woods to let the denizens of the vast tangle take care of them.

Jared was giddy at the thought of all the fun and games he’d be having with his new friends.


	3. Lost Summer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very long chapter. Sort of a peace offering because the next chapter may take a while.  
> Hope you're enjoying the story so far! :)

JARED

 

The summer flew by for Jared and his new friends. It had taken longer for Jensen to fully accept Jared, but with Jared’s inherent charm and Moby’s support, Jared had gotten Jensen to loosen up.

Jared joined in on some of their games, while Moby and Jensen learned and played some games Jared taught them.

Even if Jared was fourteen going on fifteen soon – almost an adult in his opinion! – Jared had never really had playmates. Sure, he had his hatch-mates, Sandra, Felicia and Katherine – but they were all girls and usually didn’t want to play the games Jared wanted to play. His two older brothers were much older than him; Jeffrey was learning to be a leader at their father’s side, and Jeremy spent most of his time chasing tail and spending all his time with his friends.

Besides, Jensen was nothing like other 11-year-olds that Jared knew. The activities he thought of were always fun and often adventurous. Just the other day he had led them on a trek over the nearby black-rock volcanic cliffs to a nearly concealed grotto of hidden riches.

The pool that filled the bottom of the grotto was almost completely circular with the inlet at the far end the only thing marring its near perfect shape. The bottom was lined with black sand with diamonds of all shapes and sizes scattered on the bottom. Opposite of the inlet was a small black sand beach where Jared sat and examined diamonds as Jensen and Moby cavorted in the pool, Jensen sometimes bringing him diamonds and other gems he’d found at the bottom of the pool. The walls of the grotto were also seeded in with precious gems with diamonds being the most numerous, and when the sun was directly overhead the light reflected off the gems creating a near magical light show inside the grotto.

The first time Jared saw it Jensen had stood on the small beach and raised his hands up to the light, throwing his head back and laughing with sheer delight. And whenever he felt like it, he’d sing a sea song taught to him by his mother.

It was a moment that reminded Jared of just how beautiful Jensen was. His dark blonde hair almost like gold in the light, his eyes rivaled the brightest of emeralds. His pale, perfect skin glowed in the light, while his freckles seemed to dust his cheeks and nose charmingly. But when he sang, oh when he sang… Jared would sit entranced, unable to break away.

Jared still mostly saw Jensen as a kid, but every now and then Jensen’s beauty would take his breath. Jared was sure he was going to be truly stunning when he grew up. When his thoughts took him in this direction, Jared couldn’t help but remember Jensen’s words about finding his mate one day. Jared’s stomach twisted with jealousy and a mild resentment for the lucky Kun who will get to claim Jensen.

After many weeks of fun, adventures and long walks filled with conversations and story-telling, the end of summer was upon them. There was a cooler nip in the air these days and Jared felt as if their time together had just flown by.

“Jared.” Jensen called to him, walking towards him from the direction of Moby’s den, his hands hidden behind his back.

Jared’s breath caught – not for the first time – at the unconscious, sensuous sway of Jensen’s hips as the younger boy walked towards him.

Jared laid down the large bundle of manghos he’d collected in a palm leaf and straightened back up to dust his hands off against the sides of his deeply tanned legs.

The corners of Jensen’s pink, lush lips curled up as he came to a stop in front of Jared and brought his hand out from behind him. “Here…” he said, almost shyly. His cheeks turning a delicate pink. “I made this for you.”

Jared gasped as he took the choker style necklace that Jensen held into his own rough, calloused hands. The necklet was a finely woven tough cord that had a silky feel and a glimmer to it. Strung along the cord in graduating sizes were perfectly shaped seashells, all of them unblemished white and shined to a smooth finish. In the middle of the shells hung a tear-shaped topaz that had been expertly cut and shaped. The tiniest of holes bored into one end for the cord to pass through.

“Jensen,” Jared said, awed. “You made this? For me?”

Jensen bit his lip as his blush intensified. “I found the topaz in the Grotto and collected the shells from the sea. The cord is Kun hairs from me and my family. Our scales and our hair have magical properties and will mark you forever as a friend of the Kun. The topaz reminded me of your eyes. You have… you have beautiful eyes, Jared.”

Jensen then darted forward and pressed his mouth to Jared’s, the taller boy’s eyes closing at the soft touch, even as he softly gasped. He blinked his eyes open when Jensen pulled away with a soft sigh. Jared frowned when he saw the sad look that came over Jensen’s beautiful features.

“I just… I just wish… I wanted…” the smaller boy stuttered, then sighed softly. “This is the kind of gift a Kun would give their mate when they first bonded. I just wanted you to know… that when it’s my turn to choose, if it were even possible… I’d choose you.”

Jensen then ran past him, sprinting towards the tidal pools. With a graceful, arcing leap, he dove into one of the pools. The rich, blue wrap he used when out of the water rolled up to his waist as he shifted in midair, legs melding and his large, iridescent tail forming in less than a second; Jensen cut into the water smoothly with a minimal splash to show where he’d entered the water.

Jared touched his lips gently with the fingers of one hand as the other clutched the necklet, possessively. He bit back a smile of pure joy, even as his heart rate picked up with an ecstatic beat.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

For the next two days, Jared stayed away from the tidal pools. He spent most of his time closed up in his bower or in the archives. Often, he held Jensen’s gift in his hand as his mind whirled with thoughts about Jensen and what the boy had told him.

Jared knew nothing about the Kun mating ceremonies, but a part of him still yearned to find a way to get Jensen to choose him. He had no idea if their races could coexist, let alone mating and bonding to each other. For Jared’s people it was called Impressing. When a Peng hatched, the hatchling impressed on their parents first, then siblings, if any, and then was greeted by every resident Peng so the hatchling knew the tribe and where he or she belonged.

There was no great rush to Impress a mate in the Peng society. When a compatible mate is impressed on, the two Promise to each other and often live together for a year before making it official by petitioning the Chief to recognize their Impression as binding.

Jared had never heard of a Peng impressing with any outside of their race, however, but Jared was determined to find a way. He’d spent his first day and half of the second away from the pools in the Peng Archives. Poring through scroll after scroll, looking for an answer.

But as the Pengs who ran the archives began giving him curious looks, Jared abandoned his search, retreating to his bower and wracking his brain with other options for finding the answers he needed.

He supposed he could just ask his parents, but a part of him quailed from the idea, feeling on an instinctual level that his parents wouldn’t approve. For the same reason, but with the added possibility of being laughed at, Jared dismissed approaching either of his brothers.

Late in the second day of his seclusion, Jared started as loud knocking came at the portal to his bower.

“Jared!?” he heard his hatch-mate, Sandra, calling. “We know you’re in there!”

“Open up baby hatchy.” He heard Katherine or Kat as they called her, calling out in sing-song.

Despite being much bigger than all three of his hatch-mates, the three girls insisted on reminding him on a near daily basis how out of the four of them, he was the last to hatch. First, Katherine, then Sandra and finally Felicia, who hatched a full day before Jared.

He usually didn’t mind them babying him, but today, it just drove home once again how young and uninformed he was. “Open up, open up Jare-bear!” Felicia chimed in, her trademark giggle trilling out. Sighing in exasperation as the pounding on his portal got louder, Jared rose to his feet and went to let them in.

All three girls pushed their way in, ruffling his hair and poking him in the stomach as they barged by.

“Quit it!” he grumbled, as he evaded any more pokes while trying to fix his mussed hair at the same time.

He watched with a fond yet disgruntled expression as they threw themselves on his large bed, making themselves at home.

“Spill… Jared. What’s going on?”

Before Jared could speak, Felicia popped up onto her knees on the bed. “We know about the fish-boy, Jared!”

Jared choked, sputtered and stared at her with wide eyes, mouth agape.  
“How?!” he finally choked out.

Felicia squirmed, a mischievous smile quirking her pink lips, her red and brown wings fluttered in place. “I MAY have overheard my father talking to your brother.”

“And then she told us.” Sandy chimed in with a smile, while Kat just arched one elegant brow at him.

“Did you really think your brother would let you go off every day without keeping tabs on you?” asked Kat, voice heavy with incredulity.

“Did you really fight off three full grown Liung and became friends with another one?!” Felicia butt in again.

“Only one, Jensen and Moby took out the other two.”

“You could’ve been killed!” Sandy finally spoke, her voice hard, brown eyes flashing with anger. “We know you think you’re old enough to start training to be a warrior, Jared, but you’re not a warrior, yet!”

“Cortnay nearly took you home that day, despite orders from your brother to let you enjoy your summer. She reported to my father that she reached her watch station after it had all gone down, too late to be of any help. My father took your close call personally, blaming himself. He spent hours apologizing to your parents and your brother.”

Jared felt a pang of guilt at hearing that. Felicia’s father was a bit older than Jared’s brother, Jeff, but the two were very close friends. Of course, he’d see any failing of Jeff’s trust to heart. As for the knowledge that his parents, probably both brothers and all of the guard knew about his ‘secret’, Jared didn’t know what to think of that. It made him a bit uneasy, is all he knew.

“You should also know that our warriors weren’t the only ones watching, too.” Kat said, moving to sit at the edge of the bed, hands braced at her side as she leaned in to stare intently up at Jared where he still stood in the middle of his bower.

“One of our warriors reported seeing more of the fish-people watching from other vantage points, as well. Seems your fish-boy is of some import to his people, as well.”

Jared grimaced at the realization that his carefree summer wasn’t so ‘secret’ as he thought it was. He hadn’t had a clue they’d had others spying on, no, watching over, them all this time! Reminding him once again how inexperienced he was, and how much he had yet to learn.

“Stop calling him fish-boy. His people are called the Kun, a boy yes, but he said he and all male minors are called Kuno. And yeah, he said his father was leader so it makes sense he’s important to them.” Jared answered, feeling tired all of a sudden. He pulled out his chair from his desk and sat down, heavily.

“Just like how you’re a Pengo, we’re Pengas and our adults are Pengons and Pengans. Very interesting, if we share those distinctions. But why have we never heard of the Kuns until now?” asked Sandy.

“Are they bad? Like the Liung?” asked Kat.

“Oh no…” answered Felicia in her chipper tone, as she began poking at the stuff lying on the table next to his bed. “Their diet is similar to ours. They grow, forage and hunt their food as we do - but they don’t feed on sentient creatures. Only lower life forms as we do.”

“How do you know that?!” Jared exclaimed, perturbed.

He’d spent a whole summer with Jensen and hadn’t even thought to ask about his people’s diet or anything else about them. He did know that Jensen had no siblings and that he was the first breeder male to be born in three generations. Like the Peng, Kuns mostly had male offspring with a female born once sometimes twice to each pairing. As a result, their numbers were dwindling and there were a lot more same-sex pairings which also contributed to less eggs being laid; because also like the Peng, Kuns mated for life.

The three Pengas in his room, his first friends, his closest friends, were precious to Jared’s people, themselves. They’d all been laid and hatched in the same laying season, to three different couples, and were female. Even as Jared looked forward to becoming warrior when he turned fifteen, the three Pengas would be ‘blossoming’ around that time too, and would be looking for mates. Each girl already had their eyes on a certain Pengo, but it could be anyone when their cycles came on. It all depended on who, or if, any Peng, female or male, heard their song.

From what Jensen had shared with him on many of their talks – the Kun mating ritual seemed to be much like the Pengs. A breed-able male or female would go into heat and be almost entirely taken over by instinct.

They would start building a nest. All those interested in the breeder would follow him or her to their nesting site. Then, they would settle in nearby, but not too close, to avoid angering the heat-ridden breeder. They would wait there for days, if need be, just to be there for when the breeder would be ready to sing his or her song.

Family and friends would bring the suitors food and drink, and when nature called the suitors would never go too far to take care of their business.

Jared was pulled out of his thoughts as Felicia continued. “I’ve been reading the scrolls my father’s been bringing home from the Archives since you started your little summer of love with the fish-boy.” Felicia said, seeing the glare Jared shot at her, she hastily corrected. “Sorry! I meant, your Kuno.”

 _\- My Kuno. -_ Jared mused, liking the sound of it. Then he frowned as he processed all that Felicia just said.

“Bringing home from the Archives?! No wonder I couldn’t find anything in there!” Jared groaned, shaking his head. “Does your father have many scrolls?”

“Oh yes! Quite a few! Seems like, ages ago, Pengs and Kuns used to live side by side. Coexisting happily, working and fighting together. Pengs worked the land, Kuns the sea. Each providing something the other craved, in abundance.”

“Like fish!” Sandy chirped. The others rolled their eyes or smiled in amusement. They all were well acquainted with how much Sandy loved fish.

“And our part that they craved was most likely fruits and grains. Jensen loves a red-skinned fruit that grows near the tide pools and you should’ve seen him the first time I brought him fresh baked bread.” Jared smiled in remembrance of one lazy day with Jensen and Moby at the pools.

“I wonder why our people split from theirs. Seems to be we could’ve benefited each other greatly.”

Felicia turned from her delving into the drawers of his small table and turned back to him with a dramatic wave of her hands. “Oh, but it was because of a forbidden love!”

Jared swallowed thickly. “A forbidden what?”

“You see, back then the Chief of our people had his eyes set on mating with a young Penga when she turned fifteen. Didn’t matter that he was almost twenty years older. He was a despot of a Chief, cruel too, I read. When she came of age, built her bower and began singing her song, not a one of our people could hear it. She had built her bower in a tree near the sea and as the male Peng watched a single Kuno came swimming across from the Kun underwater realm and answered her.”

Jared gasped, so did Kat and Sandy. The girls’ eyes shining with the romantic ideas of a forbidden love, while Jared’s just shone with hope.

“A Kun heard a Peng’s mating song?!” Jared exclaimed.

“Yes.”

“So what happened after that!?” Sandy squealed, excitedly. “Did they mate?”

“Oooh, it must’ve been quite the scandal!” trilled Kat, who lived for gossip and salacious stories. Including ones that happened before she was even hatched.

“What happened Fel?” Jared joined in. “Did they make it work? Did their families accept them?”

Jared’s stomach churned when Felicia’s smile slipped. She now looked reluctant to say anything more.

“FEL!!!” Kat and Sandy screeched, making Jared flinch and clap his hands to his ears.

“AGH! No harpy screeching!” Jared shouted.

“Harpy?! Sandy screeched some more in mock rage.

“We’ll show you harpies, you naughty feather!” Felicia chimed in as she joined her friends in ganging up on Jared, taking the opportunity to change the subject and avoid having to finish the story.

The three girls dragged Jared out of the chair, then threw him on the bed, jumping on him, soon after.

The three friends screamed, shouted and squealed; tickling each other, striving to get the others to call surrender. Jared, of course, would never admit to screaming or squealing, not to mention, giggling, but he was enjoying some carefree fun after almost two full days of stress and worry.

With all the noise they were making, none of the four friends noticed when Jared’s door was pushed open a bit – giving the shadowy figure in the doorway a clear view at the gaiety.

As Jared and his friends began to wind down from their bit of fun, Jared found himself laid out flat on his large bed, pinned down by various, shapely girl parts.

“Fel.” He gasped out, his voice rough from all the shouting (and squealing). “Is there any way I could get a look at those scrolls?”

“My father doesn’t even know, that I know, he’s even got ‘em. Oh, crack it, I’ll just ask him.”

“Felicia… language!” Kat scolded, gently.

“No!” Jared exclaimed, sitting up and scooting back until he was leaning up against the headboard. “You can’t tell him I want them! Word will get back to my parents, and maybe even my brothers, and then I’ll be the butt of their jokes for the rest of my life! I can just hear them now… making fun of me for falling for a Kuno – a very young Kuno, too!”

“Aw, Jared.” Sandy crooned, one hand pressed to her chest as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “You’re falling in love? So tragic, so romantic… So tragically romantic!”

Jared rolled his eyes at his friend’s dramatics.

Kat gazed speculatively at Jared. “Young or not. This Kuno must be something special.”

Jared nodded solemnly at her, not realizing how his eyes sparkled as he described Jensen to them. Told them about his kindness, his bravery, his love for beauty. When asked what he looked like, he flushed when he described the young boys adorably freckled and pale, creamy skin. The way his green eyes sparkled like a clear pond with flecks of golden sunshine in them.

“He’s still just a kid. I know that. But he’s beautiful inside and out, and that’s what I love about him.”

“Have you kissed him, yet?” asked Felicia.

“NO! Fel – what part of him being only eleven did you miss?”

“Aw, c’mon… a kiss is nothing. A nice, gentle kiss of course. Not like how Wade kissed me that one time.” Felicia shuddered as she recalled the brash Pengo who’d tried to lay claim to her before she’d even sung her first song.

“Yeah, well, he hasn’t tried to kiss another Penga like that since Jared laid the law and a well-aimed punch on him.”

The other two girls giggled.

Suddenly sobering, Felicia turned to wrap her arms around Jared’s neck pulling his head over to rest on her shoulder. “I’ll get you in to read the scrolls, or I’ll bring them to you. We’ll help you find a way to be with your Kuno. I swear on my shell, dear hatch-mate.”

Sandy and Kat nodded. “We also so swear on our shells, Jared.”

Jared’s eyes stung at the show of loyalty and devotion by his friends. A slight noise at his door had his head popping up to look, but all he saw was his door softly closing. Thinking it only the wind, Jared dismissed it from his thoughts and dropped his head back down onto Felicia’s shoulder. The four friends falling into plans on how to get Jared into Felicia’s father’s study or to get the books out and to Jared.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

JEREMY

 

_Elsewhere in the Peng treetop village – Peng Chief’s private sitting room…_

 

Jeremy finally paused to take a breath after reporting all that he’d been observing for the past few months as well as what he’d just heard while eavesdropping on Jared and his friends, to his parents, his brother and to Guard Commander Day and High Counsel Richings.

Jeremy normally would never think of violating his little brother’s privacy and trust but Jared’s odd behavior all summer and then his even odder actions these past two days really had him and Jeffrey worried. Early in the summer when Jared had begun disappearing and Jeffrey had set an unobtrusive watch on him, Jeff had informed Jeremy of it to keep him in the loop. When it came to their baby brother, all their lives, Jeffrey and Jeremy often teamed up to make sure their headstrong, willful little brother was safe from harm, even from harm he may bring upon himself.

But Jeremy at first thought Jeffrey was being too overprotective. He reminded Jeff of how they both were at Jared’s age. Itching to prove themselves, eager for fun and adventure. Especially all the trouble they got into. But Jeffrey wanted to be safe rather than sorry, yet he also felt maybe it was nothing more than a case of stretching one’s wings, and so had instructed that all watchers be stealthy and to not let Jared see them.

High Counsel Richings turned to Chief-Mate Sharrin, Jared’s mother. “It is as I feared, my dear. They are growing to be more than friends.”

Sharrin frowned, worriedly, at their most trusted advisor. A venerable long-lived Peng who had always given them wise counsel on many different matters. The ancient Pengon also had a soft spot for her youngest, and she knew any advice he gave regarding Jared would always be in the line of what was best for her youngest child, with care for the Peng nation as a whole, also being considered.

“But why is this a bad thing? Shouldn’t we be happy that Jared might have found his mate at such a young age? Even if his mate is a Kun. I’ve heard the stories from my Grandpengas about when the Kuns and Pengs lived in harmony and thrived. Why couldn’t it be that way again?”

Richings laid a consoling hand on her shoulder as he stared sorrowfully down at her. “My dear, I clearly remember those golden ages of when the Kuns and Pengs were great allies. I would love nothing more than for those days to return. But when the future Chief of the Peng nation was spurned for a Kuno, the wars that broke out because of it were horrendous!”

Richings paused to press a shaky, bony hand to his brow, then continued after taking a deep, steadying breath. “The death toll on both sides nearly decimated our numbers. Nearly made us both extinct. Peace was finally called, but not before the two lovers took their own lives in a misguided attempt to stop the war.”

Sharrin and Jeffrey gasped in shock, while Geralte, Jeremy and Day just stared at Richings with grim expressions.

“The two nations agreed to split up, and though we built back our numbers, we have never been able to grow much bigger than we are now. Our laying and hatching rates have been so low since the Separation. I’ve heard from contacts I still have in the Kuns that they are not doing so well either. It’s as if that heinous war cursed both our people.”

Commander Day stepped forward, laying a gentle hand on Riching’s shoulder, giving the obviously upset old Peng a break. “I read in the archive scrolls that BOTH nations agreed to stay apart, for fear of another war that could possibly destroy us all or weaken us enough for other species, like the Liung, to take advantage of.”

“But you make it sound as if love is a bad thing. Haven’t the Gods and Goddesses taught us that love breaks all boundaries, that love can heal and help to grow? Are you saying that for my son to love the pretty little Kuno has the potential to destroy two nations?” King Geralte finally spoke, his face twisted with worry for his people, but mostly for his youngest son.

Richings, who had gone to perch on the ledge of one of the large windows in the room, peered over one of his dusky gray wings back at Geralte. His deep, all-knowing eyes seeming to pierce deep into Geralte’s eyes, delving into his soul. “Or it could unite us again and be the catalyst for even greater glory for both our nations.” He murmured, voice soft with awe.

Commander Day shook his head and pounded one fist into the palm of his other hand. “The first Peng-Kun bonding nearly destroyed us! Can we really take the chance of allowing another war to happen? We should separate them now before a bond is allowed to take seed. Just hope we’re not too late, already!”

“I agree with Day,” Jeffrey spoke.

Geralte frowned as he thought, then looked up at everyone in the room. “I would hear what the rest of you think I should do.”

“I will support the majority,” Richings grumbled from his ledge. “In my far-eye, both options have equal opportunity to be bad and good. I cannot choose.”

“I hate to do this to Jared. But I think it’s best for him as well as the Peng people. I go with Day as well,” said Jeremy, deep lines of worry marring his forehead.

Geralte turned his gaze on his mate, the love of his life, and his closest confidant, his eyes asking her for her answer. Sharrin gazed at him for a second, her love for him shining in her still clear and beautiful brown eyes.

She turned to look at Richings sitting in the window.

“Do you know what the factor or factors will be that could turn it into bad or good?”

“Of course.” Richings turned to smile at the kind and generous woman. “If those two mate, it will then be all on their shoulders. It will depend on their bravery and their love.”

Sharrin smiled, and even if she already knew she was outvoted, she still answered with her heart. “I’m with my son. I’m with Jared.”


	4. Destiny Denied

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter here. Probably won't be another update 'til right before or after New Year's.  
> Happy Holidays, everyone! :)

JARED

 

The next morning, Jared woke in his bower with a pounding head, puffy eyes and a sore neck. He figured it came from sleeping at his desk and not in his wonderfully large and soft bed.

He groaned as he sat up and stretched. His wings flexing enough to brush the roof of his bower and to knock a pillow off his messy, yet still tempting bed.

Commander Day had been out all day and night according to Felicia, and so she’d been able to get Jared an armful of the Kun scrolls. He’d spent almost the entire night reading through them but hadn’t found a single thing that could help him and Jensen.

Deciding he needed a break and missing Jensen, Jared decided to put it aside for now and to return to the tide pools.

Just as he finished bathing and dressing for the day, Jared started as the alarm bugle went off. It was the sequence for an enemy within Peng boundaries.

Manifesting his double-tipped spear, Jared darted out of his bower and joined the rush of warriors towards the nearest rally point. As he went, he picked up comments from those around him.

“Do you know who or what is invading?” he called out to a warrior he recognized as one of Jeremy’s friends.

“A Liung!” the warrior answered. “The biggest one ever seen! Over at the Eastern Gate, I heard.”

Jared’s stomach dropped even as his heart clenched. _\- Surely, not Moby?! If it’s Moby, was it ‘bad day’ Moby? And where was Jensen? -_

Jared turned and fought his way out of the group and took off running for the Eastern Gate.

As soon as Jared neared the gate, he could hear Moby’s roaring and Jensen’s screams.

“Stop hurting my Moby! He’s just protective of me, just stay away from us. We’re not here to hurt your eggs or anyone else! We want to see Jared! He never would’ve just left me, without saying goodbye … what have you done to him!?”

“JENSEN!” Jared shouted, as he got closer.

“Jared? JARED!” Jensen screamed frantically, eyes desperately searching the Gate platform at the top of the long, spiraling staircase that wound down the trunk of the massive East Gate tree.

Jared extinguished his spear as he began pushing through the crowd around the gate and made his way to the stairs. Just as he reached the top of it, he was grabbed from behind by massive arms around his waist. Whipping his head to the side, he saw it was his father holding him fast.

“Father! Tell the guards not to hurt them. They’re my friends!”

“They won’t be hurt, son. We were just trying to get them to leave, by talking to him. We would never hurt the child or his protector.”

“I should hope not!” called out a new voice from below, even as the guards around Jensen broke apart on one end as a new group of people stepped into view. All of them dressed similarly to Jensen, with shiny wraps around their waist in that same iridescent sheen, in varying colors and embellishments.

They were Kuns in full battle gear, all of them with the exception of the two leading the group, brandishing different weapons made of water, glass, sand and stone – all the weapons sparking dangerously.

The male and female leading the group had intricate coronets wrapped around the crowns of their heads. They both had green eyes of different shades, but neither of them as bright as Jensen’s. But the similarity in looks and certain features pegged them as Jensen’s parents even before the young Kuno exclaimed.

“Mother? Father? What are you doing here?”

The Kun warriors had by then surrounded him and his parents on three sides, all of them on high alert, weapons ready. Jensen looked up and saw that almost all the Pengs were brandishing weapons, as well.

“Your watcher told us you were heading this way with Moby, and we knew about the Peng’s and their dislike for the Liung. We had to swim the fastest currents to catch up to you.”

Geralte kept one large hand clamped firmly around one of Jared’s arms as he stepped forward to greet what was most likely the leaders of the Kun nation. He wasn’t all that happy to learn that the Kun nation knew enough about the Peng to know of their enmity for the Liung, but seeing as how he kept tabs on the Kuns, himself, he wasn’t really all that surprised. “Greetings. I am Chief Geralte, leader of the Peng nation. Do you come in peace?”

“We do,” Chief Alin, Jensen’s father replied. With a nod to his warriors, the Kung warriors lowered their weapons but didn’t let them disintegrate.

When Geralte nodded at his warriors, they followed suit. “Forgive us for our aggressive stance with your son. The Liung are our sworn enemies, and your son travels with one.”

Alin smiled ruefully over at his son, who had his arms wrapped around one of Moby’s massive legs, his emerald green eyes fixed on Jared above.

“I am Chief Alin of the Kun nation, and yes, Moby is different from the other Liung. He has proven to be a stalwart and brave friend to my son these past two years. I have allowed my song’s friendship with him to continue because of this fact.”

Alin looked over at his son then, noting his shocked expression. “Yes, son – I’ve known about Moby for years now. Did you really think I’d let my only child go off alone without putting a watch on him? You know how your mother worries.”

The woman next to him rolled her eyes slightly, then nudged Jensen’s father with an elbow.

“Forgive my manners, today’s just been such an eventful day. May I introduce my mate, Donah.”

Jensen’s mother bowed elegantly, then walked over to stand by her son, one arm draped protectively over the small boy’s shoulders.

By then, the rest of Jared’s family stepped up to Geralte’s and Jared’s side. Geralte turned to indicate them, one-by-one. “This is my mate, Sharrin, and our other sons, Jeffrey and Jeremy.”

“You are truly blessed to have such a large family with many healthy sons. Even if Donah and I couldn’t be happier to have Jensen, we did wish we could’ve given him more siblings. He was lonely a lot, which is why we allowed his friendship with Moby and then your son, we were ---.”

“I am sorry for cutting you off, but I must say this.” Geralte interrupted. “I, at first, was okay with Jared making friends with Jensen and yes, even with this Liung, Moby.”

Quite a few nearby Peng gasped in shock.

Geralte turned in a circle as he explained. “All the watchers confirmed that this Moby was no threat to Jared, or anyone else for that matter. Maybe to the fish and crustaceans of the sea that he loves to eat have something to worry about, but not my boy or Chief Alin’s son, who had been friends with Moby for much longer.”

“When other Liung came to the pools and attacked me and Jared, Moby helped to fight them off and even killed one of them,” Jensen said, quietly yet clearly heard by all present.

“That’s right!” Jared called out. “Moby is our friend!”

Some of the Peng had stopped glaring at Moby by then, but when the gentle giant tried to hide his face behind the small body of Jensen; embarrassed at all the attention, some of the Peng even smiled and the remaining tension in the air dissipated completely.

Donah tilted her head as she looked up at the Peng leader. “You said ‘at first’, are you saying you no longer approve of their friendship?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Dad!” Jared protested. “But why?!”

“Pengs and Kuns can never mate!” Geralte announced loudly. “Jared will be going away to start his warrior training tonight. I am also forbidding him from ever seeing Jensen again.”

There were loud shouts of dismay from both sides.

Jensen cried out. “That can’t be true! In our human forms we are compatible. He is mine! You can’t take him away… please, you can’t!”

“Jensen!” Donah exclaimed. “You are only eleven! Far too young to be listening to this conversation, let alone including yourself in it!”

“But it’s ABOUT me, Mother! And about my Jared! I want him to be my mate! If he will wait for me to be old enough, I will sing a song only for him!”

Making up his mind right then and there, Jared pulled away from his father and ran down the stairs. Jensen broke away from his mother to meet Jared halfway up, throwing himself into Jared’s arms when they met.

Jared pressed his forehead to Jensen’s, staring deep into green eyes aglitter with unshed tears. “I will wait for you, forever, my little Kuno. Sing for me, Jensen. I don’t know how or when, but I will find you again.”


	5. Declared Intentions

JENSEN

 

Jensen stared up at the arboreal splendor of the Peng empire. Golden sunlight, aglitter with motes of sparkling dust in the beams that broke through the canopy here and there.

It wasn’t his first time to see the beautiful home of the warrior nation of winged men – Jared’s people – Jared, his beloved.

But the last time he’d been here, he’d been 11-years-old and had been too upset to notice his surroundings. It had been when Jared had promised to be there for his first heat; when Jared had promised to be his mate.

But Jared hadn’t come.

Not that first time soon after Jensen turned fifteen, nor the second, the year after.  
His third and possibly last heat was fast approaching, and if his Song went unanswered for a third time, it would mean the end of Jensen.

Heats took a toll on all breeders’ bodies. Whatever damage the high fevers and the ramping up of all his senses caused due to the turbulent changes in his body as it prepared to mate, can only be soothed and cured by the joining, or mating with the breeder’s true mate.

Each of Jensen’s heats had taken a chunk of Jensen’s vitality; his very life force. Jensen could see his parents’ barely controlled panic at the thought of losing him. The only child they’d been able to have in all the years they’d been together.

With his people, Jensen could see great sorrow and pity when they looked at him. As he’d grown and began training to be a Chief-mate, Jensen had gained respect and love from his people because of how caring, gentle and giving, he was. Always willing to lend a hand when it was needed.

But another big fact that had his people fretting over him was because Jensen was also a very rare and highly valued breeder. Kun numbers were dropping with every new generation. Legends have it that male breeders were especially fertile, and when one was born it was always a sign of a replenishing of their numbers.

If Jensen didn’t mate during his third and final heat, he will die. The Eldest Healer confirmed that his body would not be able to withstand another onslaught of an uncompleted Mating.

And so, Jensen’s friends decided to take action. Moby, the stalwart and unswervingly faithful Liung – and Christian, a 16-year-old warrior back when Jensen was only 12, and Jensen’s father first assigned him as Jensen’s companion in hopes of getting Jensen to get over losing Jared.

Jensen was incensed with his father thinking Jensen could just replace one friend with another. Besides, Jared wasn’t just his best friend, he was his soulmate – and no matter how his father scoffed at that idea, Jensen felt it to the core of his very being. He was supposed to be Jared’s and Jared to be his. His father just didn’t understand that he and Jared were more than friends. His father even once claimed what he felt for Jared was nothing but a crush, but he was wrong. Even at that young age, Jensen knew – he and Jared were meant for each other.

Jensen was expecting to hate Christian on the spot, when his father brought him in that first day. That is, until his father left them to get acquainted and Chris, as Jensen later grew to start calling him, tucked a strand of his long black hair behind one ear, and stared at Jensen with earnest bright blue eyes, and said: “I was briefed about this whole thing with the Peng, Jared. I just want you to know, I can never, nor will I ever try to replace him in your heart.”

They’d been fast friends ever since. Moby, of course, loved making new friends and the pretty ‘Blue Eyes’ was nice to Moby.

Christian had even gone so far to teach Jensen some fighting skills – of course, in secret – everyone, including Jensen’s parents just looked on in confusion because breeders were known to be peaceful, nurturing beings. Jensen was both of these things – mostly – but since that day of the Liung attack at the tide pools, Jensen recognized that being able to fight could also help in defending the lives of your loved ones and Jensen was no shrinking violet.

And so, when the first perimeter guard had challenged his presence on the outskirts of the Peng territory, Jensen had stood proudly and acted entirely like the future Chief-mate of the Kuns as he still believed he’d be – with Jared at his side. He’d politely yet firmly demanded to see the Peng Chief as soon as possible and had then been led into the interior of the mighty forest to stand in the courtyard below the Eastern gate balcony.

Scanning the winged Pengs looking down on him from above, Jensen right away spotted Jared’s parents, still a handsome couple even if both were grayer, older. The two’s age also seemed much more exaggerated than a mere six years’ passage would entail. As Jensen stared harder, he noted the deep worry lines, the darkened hollows of their eyes and their general haggard look.

Doing his most elegant bow, Jensen straightened back up gracefully. His keen hearing could hear the awed whispers that swept the crowd. Mostly all the warriors and even some of the females looking upon Jensen with blatant appreciation. The budding beauty Jared had noted in his 11-year-old self now fully bloomed. His hair a deep sable, bleached golden by the sun in sections and falling sleekly to the tops of his shoulders; his hair held in place by a simple looking glass torque resting along the upper half of his head. But as those closest to the railing looked closer, they saw that the glass was a blend of green and blue with gold flecks embedded randomly inside the glass.

When Jensen raised his head to look up at the balcony, a shaft of sunlight broke through the foliage above and landed squarely on his face, making many of those present gasp in delight as they saw that his eyes mirrored the torque exactly in color, gold flecks included.

Jensen fidgeted as many of the looks turned from shocked awe to open want and desire. Christian’s hands twitched as an involuntary growl rumbled deep in his wide, muscled chest - wanting to manifest his electric battle axe and challenge those who he felt were looking upon his best friend and future leader without proper respect.

Moby, of course, only saw the looks as innocent appreciation for his Jensen. “Hello there, I’m Moby. The grumpy looking one is Christian and this beauty is my best friend, Jensen! He really, really likes manghos.”

Christian’s ire evaporated as he choked back a laugh when he noticed Jensen’s ears beginning to redden. The taller, yet slighter boy turning slowly to glare at the massive reptile.

“What?” Moby asked, innocently, still smiling. “You do.”

Taking pity on Jensen’s flustered state, Chief-mate Sharrin stepped up to the railing and smiled warmly down at Jensen. “Jensen-kun. It is a pleasure to see you again. You have grown into a beautiful young man. Once again, you and your… uh, friend Moby grace us with a visit. Along with a new friend who looks like a properly protective warrior at your side. Is he your mate?”

This time, Christian couldn’t hold back his chuckles. Jensen shot him an exasperated look then smiled warmly up at the older Pengan. “No, Milady. He only wishes he was.” Jensen smirked.

Christian’s chortles choked off, melding into an indignant huff, while Sharrin and a few of the other Pengs laughed.

“Along with Moby, Christian-kun is a dear friend of mine. That is all.” Jensen stated.

“How may we help you, Jensen-kun?” Chief Geralte finally spoke up.

“If I may, could we please speak in private?”

Geralte and Sharrin looked at each other, the Pengon looking reluctant, but his mate disregarded his unease and agreed for the both of them. She then turned and shooed the crowd off, instructing them to return to their duties.   
Three beautiful Pengans suddenly ran up to Sharrin, one of them, a redhead with a pixy cut skidded to a halt and looked down at Jensen and his friend with awe that quickly turned into delight. Jensen eyed her confusedly. He turned his attention from her as Sharrin finished speaking to them and turned back to Jensen. She invited Jensen and Christian up the stairs so that they could retire to the Chief’s residence to have their talk.

Jensen smiled gratefully as he nodded, but then paused to frown back at Moby. Knowing the enmity the Pengs held for Moby’s race, he was reluctant to leave his large friend alone.

Sensing his dilemma, Geralte raised his voice so that Jensen and all who were slowly moving away could hear. “Your friend Moby is safe here. All here know how he saved my son’s life in the past, and I vow for all the Peng that as long as he does no harm, we will do no harm to him in return.”

Jensen nodded in agreement. He patted Moby on one of his immense, scaled legs and with a murmured – behave – Jensen headed for the cunningly carved staircase that wound its way up to the East Gate, Christian following right behind.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

_The Next Day… before sunrise_

 

Christian stood in the middle of Jensen’s bedroom trying to reason with the 17-year-old as he rushed to fill his pack with every piece of jewel he had in his possession. Even after checking every corner of his room, the medium-sized pack was only a quarter full. Jensen didn’t collect jewels for quantity, he did it for quality. Only truly perfect or unique gems appealed to him.

“Jen, you can’t just swim up to the Liung camp and offer them a bag of jewels! They are monsters! They wouldn’t hesitate to snap you up like a morning snack and take your jewels from you, after. Stop and think!”

“A year, Christian! You heard Geralte and Sharrin. Jared didn’t come for me on my first heat because he hadn’t quite finished his training and he wanted to prove his worth to me and be a proper warrior. The few letters my father didn’t manage to intercept never explained that to me. Then on his first real skirmish with Moby’s former clan, he got captured! God knows what he’s suffered as their prisoner for almost an entire year! I have to get him back!”

“But the Peng tried to pay the ransom many times, Geralte said. I’m sure they offered gems and jewels too and yet those filthy animals turned down every offer. All their rescue attempts have also failed. They also sent an army, Jensen… and still couldn’t get to him. The place is too well guarded.”

“Against Pengs, Christian. Not against Kuns.”

“Huh?”

Jensen rolled his eyes as he began tying up his pack of gems and gold. He then tied two more empty packs to it and slung the whole thing over one shoulder as he made his way out of his coral hut, Christian scrambling to snatch up his battle gear that he’d dumped near the doorway and rushing to catch up to Jensen. Refusing to back down from the debate.

“Explain,” Christian demanded. Jensen recognizing the tone of voice Christian only used when he was on the verge of losing his patience.

“Back at Jared’s home, when I asked to use their washroom, when I said I needed a break, I didn’t go to the washroom. Jared’s friends, the three Pengans we met earlier waylaid me and dragged me into a side room.”  
Christian raised one brow.

“Don’t raise that brow at me, Christian-kun,” Jensen said, tartly, not even bothering to look back at Christian to confirm that he was. He didn’t have to look, he knew his friend all too well.

Christian smirked in amusement, then pushed for Jared to continue. “I take it they weren’t looking for a tumble?”

“No, they weren’t.”

“So what did they want?”

“They wanted to share a rescue plan Commander Day’s daughter had come up with. A truly amazing plan! We’re going to go and get Jared back, ourselves!”


	6. A Reason To Live

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, rating will now be upped to Mature for violent content.

**Jared**

Jared flinched as the wet cloth was dabbed against a new set of lacerations from his jailor’s whip.

“I’m sorry,” murmured Ruby. The female Liung grimaced, as she dipped the rag, with a surprisingly nimble and delicate movement, in the mixture she’d made to treat his wounds.

In the year that Jared had spent as prisoner and slave in the Liung stronghold, the only thing that had kept him from giving up was the thought of Jensen waiting for him, and the friendship that had grown between him and the female Liung, Ruby, a healer of great skill.

She had cried and begged his forgiveness when she was forced to pierce the cartilage at the top of his wings, and thread the holes with heavy iron rings. They not only prevented him from flying, but the pure iron also impeded his magic ability.

Even with all the torture, beatings and starvings he’d been through, Jared still thought Ruby had suffered way more under the claws of her own clan.

Ruby had been born completely white with bright, blue eyes. Even if her hatch-mates and pretty much the rest of the clan had shunned her, some even calling her an abomination, Ruby’s mother and grandmother never did.

When she had come of age no males offered to nest with her, even if those same males offered to breed her. Ruby’s own mother had been the one to take offense and all of them had run in fear, bleeding from the bites and scratches she’d inflicted. One day, a young warrior from the Hills had found her odd coloring appealing and even if there was no chemistry between them, he offered to nest with her.

But after two childless years and assessments by many great healers, among them Ruby’s own grandmother, it was determined that Ruby or her mate was barren. Being unable to have young, her bond with her mate deteriorated until they both agreed to break it and separate. When he re-mated with another female a year later and then got her pregnant within a month, Ruby came to realize the problem had been with her all along and fell into a deep depression.

A depression that was fueled by the return of the sneers and derision that had stopped when she’d mated. When other Liung began ostracizing her even more than they did before, Ruby thought her life was over.

To give her a purpose and something to keep her busy, Ruby’s grandmother forced her into helping with her healing arts, teaching her as they aided the sick and injured.

Ruby surprised herself by how well she absorbed and began to enjoy all that she was learning. She had found a new lease on life.

But after only two years of intensive training, their hut had been hit by lightning in a storm and caught fire, Ruby had had no help in rescuing her mother and grandmother, all other Liung in the area had fled in fear. And so, Ruby was now totally alone in the world.

Liung didn’t do well with fire and so any cooking was always done at a large communal firepit and never inside of their homes. On rainy days, they either ate everything raw or cold.

She then became the unwanted ward of the Clan Leader. At first, she wasn’t treated cruelly by the leader and his mate, but she was never made to feel welcome in their home, either. The most that could be said about them, was their indifference to her. They never seemed to notice her unless she spoke up or if someone needed her healing skills.

They sure didn’t care when unmated males began forcing themselves on her. The first time she’d gone to the leader and his mate to report the first time she was raped, she was told that since she was barren and a healer, it was her job to take care of the clan – injuries, illnesses, laying, hatching and easing physical needs within reason.

To them, the use of her body to service the unmated yet virile males of her clan was considered ‘the least she could do’ since they fed and housed her. The only rule from the leader was that no male was to be overly rough with her. That included using her so often to where it would impinge on her ability to do her job as a healer. Especially when she was assigned to take over as Healer for the Hatchery Stronghold, when the old one passed away.

No matter how much Jared objected to her putting herself down, Ruby believed herself to be naught but a ‘glorified whore’. Jared always tried to bring her spirits up the days after she was called upon to give service. He could see how Ruby was slowly losing herself. Each time she was brought to the ‘visiting room’ to do her service for never more than five males who took turns with her, she came back to him with her mind closed off, bright eyes dull and lifeless. Each time she was brought back, it took Jared longer and longer to bring her out of the dark where her mind ran to in order to cope with being raped on a monthly basis.

When she’d tended to him that first day he’d been captured, beaten and brought to the Hatchery Stronghold, he’d been all ready to hate her as he did his captors. But after only a week under her care, Jared realized she was more like his lost friend, Moby. Ruby was kind and gentle and greatly valued life.

They had bonded as time went by. She’d told him about her life and the harships she’s been thru and Jared had told her about Jensen – typical female, in Jared’s amused opinion – she had wailed and wept at how ‘romantic’ and ‘tragically beautiful’ his situation was.

They had made a pact with each other. They both vowed that they would do whatever they could to help the other realize their dreams. Jared to escape and to have his Jensen, and Ruby her own freedom; being able to get out from under the control of others.

Ruby finished cleaning and bandaging Jared’s newest collection of cuts and bruises, grumbling as she cleaned then tied off the last one around his upper arm. Even if all of his injuries will be completely healed within an hour, Pengs were still susceptible to infections until open wounds were completely healed, so Ruby took no chances and treated Jared as she would one of her own clansman.

“So what prompted this beating, Jared? You promised you’d behave and give them no reasons to hurt you, anymore!” Ruby scolded as she began packing away her supplies.

“Baskem was talking bad about you so I hit him with my shovel.”

Ruby still wasn’t used to having anyone willing to fight on her behalf, and so she tried to hide her pleased smile even as she scolded.

“I’ve told you many times, Jared. I’m used to how they treat me, nothing they do bothers me anymore. I can take care of myself. Even if they talk rough, none of them dare harm me when they take me.”

“Sorry, no. You are my friend, I will never not stand up for my friends.”

“Did you hurt Baskem seriously? I didn’t get a call for any accidents with a shovel, today.”

“Oh no, he’ll be fine. No real damage done. I hit him in the face.”

This time, Ruby couldn’t hold it in and she broke out into laughter. Jared smiling triumphantly as he laughed quietly with her. Ruby had a pure, bell-like laugh that was infectious. Hearing it, always made Jared feel better.

He watched as the snow white Liung turned to her work counter and began cleaning up even as she tittered uncontrollably.

Then, as Jared rose to his feet and donned his tunic, a loud clangor went off throughout the halls of the keep. The sound reverberating up and down the warren of halls and rooms roughly cut into the stone cliff that overlooked the white sand beaches at the northernmost tip of the islet. 

“What’s going on?!” Jared exclaimed.

“I don’t know.” Ruby murmured as she rushed to the window, Jared right behind her, squeezing himself between the window’s deep-ledged wide frame, one arm draping over Ruby’s large head, as they both peered down at the moat and drawbridge below.

A ripple of shock went up Jared’s spine even as his mind struggled to process what he was seeing below.

The largest Liung he’d ever seen was being attacked by much smaller, yet still large, hissing guards. Wave after wave of guards stormed across the drawbridge, rolling over the interloper until Jared’s frantic gaze lost sight of the massive Liung.

Leaning out the window, Jared’s eyes darted frantically over the thrashing maelstrom of blood-crazed guards - a scream ripping from his throat. “MOBYYYYYYYY!” 

“Th-THAT is your friend, Moby? The one you’ve told me so much about?” Jared heard Ruby gasp from somewhere behind him.

Jared whipped back around to face the room only to see Ruby disappearing through the main door of her infirmary. “Ruby! Where are you going?!” The guard posted outside giving Jared a warning hiss to behave himself, before closing the door, locking Jared in.


	7. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it's been so long since the last update. When my keyboard started working again I was immediately drawn back to Fanboy, so I pulled it off the shelf and have mostly been caught up in updating that story since the muse for this one kinda disappeared on me. But I promise, I have not abandoned this story. It is special to me and I could never leave it completely.
> 
> If you're still reading this story, thank you for hanging in there with me. ;)

JARED

 

_A couple of hours later…_

Jared tried to wait for Ruby to return; anxious to hear news about Moby and why he was here without Jensen. But exhaustion had overtaken him and he’d ended up drowsily slumping in Ruby’s over-large chair near the window.

He’d watched in awe as Moby threw off each wave of attackers, sending most of them into the moat or tumbling down the steep incline he’d just traversed. Every time the oncoming guards would try to use their sonic barrages, Moby would use his very large tail in a sweeping motion along the stony ground, whipping a virtual hailstorm of sharp rocks and clouds of sand at his opponents.

Jared was impressed with Moby’s methodical strategy for fighting a battle where he was vastly outnumbered, but there were still a lot more guards to come.

Over the years that he’d been kept away from Jensen, the two had figured out a way to correspond with the help of Jensen’s best friend, Christian and to Jared’s surprise, Moby.

He’d learned that the Kuns had taken Moby in as one of their own, recognizing his loyalty and love for Jensen. Chief Alin, Jensen’s father, had even held a ceremony naming Moby a Kun-Friend. An honor rarely given to one outside of their species. It meant that Moby would forever be considered one of them and thus would always have a home with them.

The best of the Kun healers had looked into Moby’s condition and after a few months of treatment they had been able to almost completely end Moby’s lapses of regression, and improve his cognitive mind so that he was once again able to retain information, without pain.

Moby would be the first to admit that he’d never win any intelligence contests, but he was happy just to be able to hold real conversations, learn complex skills and to basically stop being thought of as ‘simple or stunted’. Jensen and those who came to love the gentle giant were pleased to see that Moby’s basic sweetness and his passion for helping others, was not lost. Moby was also good with the younger Kuns, especially with the Bobbins – the age group where young kuns weren’t old enough to be left unsupervised but old enough to start learning to socialize and explore outside of the Anemone Gardens – the Kun nursery and hatching grounds.

Jared counted Moby as one of his most trusted friends, and he was anxious to learn if the affable lizard was okay, or was he imprisoned somewhere else in or around the keep? Jared refused to consider the possibility of his friend being dead.

Just then, Jared jumped to his feet when he heard the sound of the Infirmary door being unlocked and then opened.

Ruby came sweeping back into the room with a guard following close behind her. She turned to gesture at the guard in a brusque, impatient gesture. “You go wait over in that corner. Can’t concentrate with you hovering behind me.”

“What’s going on, Ruby?” Jared demanded, then flinched when Ruby shot him a warning glare.

In his upset, Jared had forgotten his ‘place’. Glancing over at the guard, Jared noted the suspicious look he was shooting at them, his yellow eyes jumping from Ruby then to Jared then back again to the white Liung. Jared rushed to correct his mistake.

Dropping to his knees Jared pressed his forehead to the floor. “My apologies, Mistress. I did not mean to speak out of turn. Please, I will be good.”

“Your insolence will land you back at the whipping post, slave.” Ruby sneered. “But I have other matters to take care of now and have no time to patch you up… AGAIN!”

Turning to the guard, Ruby motioned him forward. “Return this one to his cell in the dungeons. I’ve treated his wounds already and the last of the injuries should be healing up now, as we speak. The Commander wants me back in the main hall as soon as possible, so I can’t take him myself.”

“I was told to keep my eyes on you, not to escort slaves.”

“Well then, we’ll just leave him here, yet again. He hasn’t attempted to escape in quite some time, maybe he has finally accepted his status here, yes?”

The guard was now looking at Jared’s groveling form with a frown on his scarred face; Jared watched out of the corner of his eye as the guard began fidgeting with indecision.

Seeming to come to a decision, the guard hefted his heavy pike with one large foreleg and gestured for Ruby to head for the door even as he reached down to drag Jared to his feet with his other paw. “We will go together to pass him on to the dungeon guards, then I will take you back to the main hall. Have you got all your supplies?”

Ruby nodded, ducking her head in compliance. But from his angle, as Jared rose to his feet, he saw a glint of satisfaction in the white dragon’s beautiful blue eyes. Whatever she was planning, Jared figured he just had to play along and trust in her.

“Let’s go.” The guard directed, Jared and Ruby leading the way out.

The guard rushed them through the keep, working their way quickly down into the cold, damp bowels of the stronghold. In almost no time, Jared and Ruby found themselves being ushered into the guard room at the head of the long stairs that led down to the cells. An all too familiar place that Jared had been calling home for the past year.

Jared shivered as he felt the cold, damp salty air that rose up the stairwell.

So caught up in dreading the return to his cell, Jared failed to notice anything amiss, but the guard noticed right off.

“Where is everyone?!” the hulking guard growled. “Why are there no guards here?!”

Ruby just stared wide-eyed at the guard, shrugging her shoulders, Jared following her and shrugging his, as well. The guard backhanded him then dragged him to the nearest set of chains bolted to a nearby wall. “You don’t move a muscle!” he snarled at Ruby who only blinked innocently holding up her front paws in acquiescence.

As the guard grabbed at the manacles that hung from the ends of the chain, obviously intending to shackle Jared to them, Jared had a clear view of the opposite wall where the door to the weapons room was slowly opening to reveal a Kun warrior in full battle gear slowly making his way out of the door. The stranger held one finger up to his lips as he silently manifested a softly glowing long knife.

The massively muscled guard froze for a second as he worked on Jared’s bonds, his large nostrils flaring. Teeth baring in rage, it began to turn, sensing the Kun warrior behind him – turned too late for with a graceful leap onto its back, the Kun stabbed the knife deep into the guard’s back even as the blade flared brightly, limned with glaring electricity.

The Liung stiffened up onto its hind legs, body jittering as the massive electric shock was delivered. Its eyes and the soft tissue in its mouth began to blacken and smolder as it tried to scream. But all that came out was a strangled gurgle before it collapsed to the stone floor, dead. The warrior calmly dropping to the floor beside it, a large, glowing halberd manifesting in his hands as he turned to look at Jared.

Jared stared in shock and admiration for the warrior, said warrior staring right back.

“So you must be Jared.” Said the stranger.

“Jared?” said another voice, coming from the weapons room.

“Dammit, Jensen… I told you to wait for me to call ‘all clear’.” The warrior grumbled.

Jared’s eyes swung to and fixed on the slighter man just making his way past the door and stepping fully into view, two glowing throwing daggers dropping from his hands and dissipating in mid-air.

Sea green eyes, flecked with gold stared openly at Jared as plush, pink lips opened and trembled softly.

“Jensen.” Jared said, no hesitation or question in his tone.

“Jared!” Ruby suddenly cried out, her voice high with fear.

Jared whipped around in time to see the warrior launching himself at Ruby flaring halberd swooping up for a killing blow. Using his one chained arm as a pivot Jared whipped his body through the air, his long legs connecting with the warrior enough to throw him off course and into the wall behind him. The warrior snapped back to his feet, even as Ruby scampered behind Jared, whimpering in fear. His much smaller frame a laughable shield, but a shield nonetheless as Jared landed solidly on his feet, facing Christian defiantly, the other chain and manacle in his hands, at the ready.

“Don’t you dare hurt my friend!” Jared thundered, authoritatively.

“Christian, stand down!” Jensen ordered even as he continued to stare at Jared as if he was striving to memorize every detail, a look of wonder on his beautiful face.

Jared couldn’t stop staring, either. His mind marveling at just how beautiful Jensen is. An 11-year-old Jensen had been pretty, but this… this almost full grown, lightly muscled, long-limbed vision before him was pure perfection in Jared’s eyes. Even the strong, slightly bowed legs appealed to Jared on all levels and only served to prove even more that this enchanting young man before him was none other than Jensen of the Kun.

HIS Jensen.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are fuel. Let's keep this fic engine running! 
> 
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